


A Promise, A Wish, and A Party

by Agent C (arh581958)



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: 40's, Costumes, Dancing, Dress-up, Halloween, Husle, Jitterybug, M/M, Steve in Uniform, Steve's Army Blues, Swing, Tony in a Vest, light humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 22:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5067991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/pseuds/Agent%20C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The prompt: Steve and Tony going to a 40’s themed club and Steve making Tony dance with him. </p><p>The story: The Stark Foundation Ball is 40's themed and Steve makes Tony dance with him. </p><p>Or: a shameless ploy to make Steve and Tony dance like the people in Katy Perry's "Thinking of You" video.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Promise, A Wish, and A Party

**Author's Note:**

> I'll post the prompt and a screen-caps when I wake up. I'm too sleepy to function.

Steve never had that dance with Peggy. He's been to dances now, sure, but it's completely different. Back then, dances were more about form and grace rather than the slow swing of hips that can be mistaken for sex while standing. Don't get him wrong. He isn't a prude of anything. It's just... he never got a chance to do all that dancing during his time, the way he wanted to, not the choreographed performances on stage. He was always a skinny boy with a sickly disposition. Barney's tried to get him a gal once or twice but the rigorous activity it entailed was just too much for his original body to handle.

There's a part of him that want to go back in time to do that.

Only now, it's not Peggy he wants as a partner.

***

 **You're cordially invited to**  
STARK FOUNDATION BALL  
_The Stork Club, NY  
_ 31st October 2015 | 20:00

Tony picked up on the fourth ring with an off-handed "Hey, cap. Wachaneed?"

"Tony" Steve said slowly over the receiver of his StarkPhone. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked while staring at the note intensely. He just came back from his morning jog when he saw the fancy black envelope in his pile of mail and the neatly calligraphic letters of his name written elegantly at the back. Seeing Tony's name on the inside didn't come as much of a surprise.

"Meaning of what? huh? wait. Gimme a sec." There was distinctive metal and robotic noises in the background.  Tony yelling some gibberish that was inaudible through the static. A couple of stretching  noises too. He must have been working on something in his workshop. "Hold the phone out. Can you do that for me, cap?" came moments later.

Steve reluctantly removed the phone from his ear and looked down at the screen; Tony's face was looking back at him. In-screen Tony stepped back. True enough, the dark-haired man appeared to be tinkering with something beyond the camera's view.

"Dum-e's holding the phone. And if it falls, I'll disassemble him for phone part, isn't that right, Dum-e?" Tony said, pointing to his phone's general direction and by proxy at the robot behind it. The affection in Tony's voice does not go unnoticed by Steve.

"So yeah, cap, what exactly are you talking about? _Things_ doesn't actually cover half of what you owe me for." Tony asked. He crosses his arms over his arc-reactor. He has grease everywhere, marking him in inky black likes that Steve follows with his eyes--tone biceps, wide shoulders, Adam's apple bobbing. He's wearing his goggle over his head like a headband, pushing up his wavy hair in even messier saves.

"Cap?" Tony asked again. "You there?"

That's all it takes to break Steve from his reverie.

"Yeah" Steve blushed a little darker, feeling the heat all the way down to his neck. "I was talking about this." he said, lifting the black card to over the front camera. "It's an invitation to a party on Saturday under your name."

 "Oh that" Tony said dismissively. He waves his hand a few times, shrugging it off. "It's a yearly thing. You know S.I. does that sorta stuff, right? Charity? Giving-back? It's part of the CSR or something like that. This year's beneficiaries are for housing the refugees in Syria, I think. Better ask Pepper. She has more details."

 _Like a CEO of a multi-billion dollar has time for me_ , Steve thought but he pushes it aside.

"A--are you going?" he asked, feeling like a fool the moment he said it. He couldn't take it back now. Not when Tony has that pensive look on his face like when he's building blue prints for new StarkTech in his brain during a long debrief with Coulson. He hoped to God that he does not look _too_ hopeful for Tony to come. It's not a SHIELD thing, so he's not sure which of the Avengers will come.

"JARVIS" Tony said, clearly not talking to Steve. "What's my date-book for Saturday?"

 _"Miss Potts has encoded the Stark Foundation Ball on you events at 1:12 in the afternoon last October 15, sir."_ echoes JARVIS' disembodied voice, crackling over the speaker. Steve can see Tony making a face.

"Looks like I am." Tony told him. Now Steve really, really hopes that his face isn't giving too much away. He breathes a little easier knowing that Tony was going to be there too. "Anything else, cap? I'm kind of in the middle of some ground-breaking science that will blow Brucie's mind away like ka-plooow! It' even better than Hawkeye's exploding arrowheads."

"Uh yeah" stammered Steve "What am I supposed to wear?"

Tony scratched his beard then runs his greasy hands through his hair. "Still got them Army Blues? 'Cause if you do, then that'll probably do. It's a themed costume party. Knowing you, you'd either skimp on your costume or prefer not to wear one at all. So yeah, those Army Blues should be good."

Steve nodded.

"See you on Saturday, cap."

"Sure. I'll be there at eight."

***

Steve arrived at the Stork Club at eight o'clock on the dot. He wore his Army Blue like Tony said. It was a bit uncomfortable taking the subway on it 'cause it drew people's attention. It wasn't everyday that someone wore their full uniform nowadays. He stuck out like a sore thumb the whole ride over. Thankfully, the clothes added an extra-layer of protection. Not everybody was overly fond of army men and most of them gave Steve a wide girth as he passed by.

Inside makes him feel like he was transported back into the 40's. There was an honest-to-god fifteen person orchestra in the middle of two-upward curving staircases already playing some soft house music in the background. Round tables were lined up along every wall in two or three rows and enough room to manoeuvre in. The middle of the room was left empty as a large open dance floor with solid wooden planks over the carpet. But most of all, everyone was dressed like him.

"Steve" Natasha greets him. She wore a dark-blue sweet-heart dress with small red polka-dots, and a matching satin belt and halter-straps. Her short red hair was done in movie-star curls and a dark-blue twisted bandana. Her lips were the perfect red to tie everything together. "You made it. Aren't you a bit late?"

"He's actually right on time" Clint cuts in. He strode over to them. Like Natasha, he was dressed for the era in high-trouser, a deep purple shirt, wide-tie, suspenders, and a fedora to top everything off. His hair was oiled in a classic side-part, slicked back to the ends, sweeping backwards. "The program is just about to start. We should go get to our seats."

Being the Avengers had its perks; they were given the best seat in the house for the dual purpose of privilege and eye-candy for the charitable donors. It also gave them the perfect view of the stage. Steve wasn't surprised when he saw Coulson sitting at their table. What he was surprised by is Clint sliding over to Coulson's lap and kissing the Agent's agent on the lip before taking his proper sit. Natasha and Bruce were less brazen but no less passionate. He saw Bruce's hand skimming over Natasha's thigh in the corner of his eye. Thor was out of the planet.

 "Someone seen Tony?" He asked the group, eyeing the last empty seat in their table.

"Mr. Stark is part of the program participants" Coulson supplied with his own brand of blandness that Steve's grown fond of over their missions together. On cue, the lights rim. A projector screen is revealed behind the curtains. Pepper says the welcoming remarks, there's a movie clip, a few other talk briefly about the issue, but there's not Tony.

 _"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Chairman of the board and owner of Stark Industries, Mr. Anthony Stark."_ The stage dims dramatically until a lone spotlight remain.

Tony is in the middle of the floor alone, smiling at the crowd. He's wearing the swankiest bespoke suit that Steve has ever seen in his life. It's not the normal slim-cut fabrics of the modern century but it looks every bit like it was handmade by a seamstress in the 1940's. It reminds Steve of Howard only it's an entirely different attraction altogether. Tony's in a burgundy dress-shirt with a dark brown vest and a light-blue tie. It's crazy hot and Steve can't stop staring.

"Let me begin all this with a little song and dance for all of you loosen-up a little." Tony declared to the room at large. "But of course, I'll need a perfectly pretty dance partner for all of you to oogle while I clumsily make a few mistakes. 'Cause honestly folks, I'm a bit rusty at this. Pepper, be a gorgeous gal, and let's show them how to swing it~"

Pepper joins him, laughing.

The steps they chose were simple yet, together, they looked like a billion dollars. Tony was efficiently leading Pepper through the floor with minute facial expression and small tells that most of the people couldn't see. They dance like two people who have danced a thousand times over. Pepper twirls elegantly under Tony's finger and he swings her around in a large circle. By the time their song ends, the crowd goes wide with applause.

Tony saunters over to their table after kissing Pepper goodbye on the keep, waving the whole time he's in the spot light.

"Shit Stark" Clint hooted. "I didn't know those old bones of your still work."

Tony shot him a glare. "Did I just hear the last arrow modifications get shred in my brain?" he answered without missing a beat. Clint spluttered his drink.

"Did I say anything?" He gave Coulson a pleading look. "I didn't say anything about Stark's dancing except that it was awesome, right sir?"

"Old bones?" Coulson mimed, darkly raising an eyebrow. Clint paled. He was so dead. He had unintentionally shot two birds with one stone from the last comment. He ducks his head and start pleading for Coulson's forgiveness by being his overly affectionate self, forgetting that the rest of their table still existed.

Natasha pulls Bruce arm for a dance. The Hustle was next. She was determined to dance it.

"Erhm..." Steve began awkwardly. "It was really nice dancing, Tony."

"Thanks, cap." Tony said with a tired groan. "I am never dancing again. These shoes are killing me. I guess those dance lesson when I was a kid paid off, huh? When I said I was rusty, I wasn't kidding. I almost forgot all the steps half way through and ended up making Pepper do all the work." He gave Steve one of his flirty winks. "Operation Pretty Distraction accomplished."

Steve threw his head back and laughs. It was so much like Tony to say that. He could have sworn he heard it before the other man even spoke--billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. At least two of those are still applicable, he hasn't seen Tony or heard of Tony taking anyone to his bed for a few months now.

"You should get yourself a gal and enjoy the night. It's for a good cause after all." Tony told him. "I'm sure they pockets will substantially become deeper it Captain America's dance card is on the menu."

Steve ducked his head. "I'm not really interested in dancing with anyone else right now" He confessed. It'd be his _real_ dance, the dance that he wanted to do more than seventy years ago when he was back in his own time. He didn't want to do it with some stranger. He wanted it with someone special. He wanted that someone to be Tony.

"Come on, capsicle." Tony heckled. "I'm sure you can find at least _one_ lovely lady who can fancy the night away."

"Not really interested." Steve revealed honestly. "Not really a _lady_ that I'd like to dance with."

This gets Tony's eyebrow disappearing into his hairline. "What do you mean _not_ a lady?"

"I---uhm--" Steve can feel the heat of his blush all the way up to his ears. "Did Maria make you take dance lessons with all the old dances?"

"Uh, y--yeah." The brunette's stammer caught Steve by surprise.

Steve whipped around and saw Tony sporting a similar flustered look on his face. His heartbeat sped up, roaring like an sports engine from zero to two-eighty in seconds. His blood echoed, thundering in his ears. The song ended, the crow was in another round of applause, but all Steve can hear was Tony's breathing.

"Tony" Steve breathed out like it was the single most important name on Earth. "Can I have the next dance?" He's stupidly happy when Tony reached out for his hand without saying another word.

They stride over to the floor together, hand in hand. There's a collective gasp resounding throughout the room when they're spotted at a corner of the stage, waiting for the next song to start playing. But then, Steve does something unexpected. He crossed the floor in four powerful paces and whispered something to the conductor. The man nodded enthusiastically at Steve's request.

"What did you say?" Tony asked when he came back.

Steve just grinned back. "Nervous?"

Tony's dark eyes grew wild in disbelieve. "Steve, I wasn't lying when I said I almost botched the dance. It's been _years_! I don't remember half of them." He said over the music that was starting to play. "Come on, cap, don't let me make a fool out of myself. I have a reputation to uphold."

Steve's smile only grows bigger. He grabbed both of Tony's hands in his and said "Then follow my lead"

They entered the floor, literally swinging their legs like two crazy idiots. But they looked perfectly in sync and in movements that it didn't matter if their actions bordered on insane, they were mirroring each other in each and every step. It was a mix-match of all the dances that Steve knew and grew up with--in the Bronx, watching Barney in the night clubs, and those dances in the army. It was perfect. Tony was reading Steve's step, anticipating and reacting in the way that Steve wanted.

They swung their hips side to side in stomping steps, their footwork getting more complicated as the music grew. It was so fast at one point that they had to stare at their feet for a while before meeting each other's eyes and laughing out loud. Tony pulls into a spin then winks. Steve knows exactly what the other man is planning to do without a word said between them.

Tony deliberately bounces on his steps as he surges towards Steve. He lunges straight on Steve's waiting hands and lurches into the air like he was in the Iron Man suit. Thank god for the high ceiling because Steve forgot to pull his strength and ends up shooting Tony so high that he might nearly touch the chandelier. But Tony tucks himself into a roll and falls hands first, ready to Steve to catch him.

Steve holds Tony there for a moment, on an arm-stand in his hands, tie falling carelessly over Tony's face, then brings him down in a swooping motion under his legs. He lets go, jumps around, and catches Tony but his front just in the nick of time. Tony's legs wrap like steel snakes around his waist, ankles crossed on his back. They aren't even half-way done.

"Got more, capsicle?" Tony breathlessly asked, seemingly reading his thoughts.

"So much more" Steve responded. He hauls Tony by the waist and swings him from side to side, legs high in the air, as Steve moves across the room. Tony cannot help but laugh in delight as he was being manhandled into a hundred different twists, turns, and hops than he could have ever imagined. Then it stops being a dance and starts becoming a whole lot of fun.

Tony jumps high, legs wide, when Steve front-rolls underneath him. He catches Steve's outstretched palms and together they spins a few times. He finds himself with his back to Steve's front while they do a couple of fancy matching footwork. At this point, they can't tell which one of them is leading.

It's like they've been dancing together forever.

It's crazy, it's unbelievable, it's insane.

It's everything that Steve dreamed of.

Somewhere along the way, they twist and end up facing each other. A thin sheen of sweat glistens over their skins. They're panting, breathing into each other's space like it was the most natural thing in the world. They've got their hands on each other's waist, touching from shoulder to hip. Tony rests his sweaty forehead on the crook of Steve's neck. The music starts to slow down around them. Yet, nothing in the world matter except keeping each other in an embrace.

"Thank you" Steve managed to say when they part. He can hardly hear the noise of the crowd--the applause, the cheers, or the music. He stared straight into Tony's eyes, down to Tony's lips and watches Tony's tongue peaks out to wet them. It made Steve's mouth grow dry. They were mere inches apart. He could smell the man--grease, oil, and something spicy. It's better than anything thing that Tony tried to wear. It's pure Tony.

"It was my pleasure, Cap." said Tony before they _have_ to pull away. "You're a good dancer too. I--I'll see you back at the table."

Steve nodded and watched at Tony disappears into the darkness beyond the floor lights. He's approached by several other and none of them gave him the same exuberance as when he was dancing with Tony. He finally had time to go back to the table but Tony wasn't there.

 

**Author's Note:**

> (I'll post the prompt and a screen-caps when I wake up. I'm too sleepy to function. )
> 
> I'm supposed to be dong my RevLit for thesis but this gets stuck in my head. 
> 
> [ **Got a prompt?**](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/)


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